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Lawyers resume skills and keywords

In 647 Lawyers job postings from 417 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (66 %), Bar admission (47 %), Negotiation (40 %), Litigation (35 %) and Leadership (29 %). Of the top 40 skills, 26 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 14 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Lawyers job postings

Skills requested in 647 Lawyers job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication66 %Soft skill
Bar admission47 %Certification
Negotiation40 %Soft skill
Litigation35 %Hard skill
Leadership29 %Soft skill
Collaboration28 %Soft skill
Attention to detail24 %Soft skill
Procurement18 %Hard skill
Flexibility17 %Soft skill
Problem Solving17 %Soft skill
Data Privacy17 %Hard skill
Corporate Governance15 %Hard skill
Mentoring14 %Soft skill
Mergers and Acquisitions13 %Hard skill
Data Protection13 %Hard skill
Claims12 %Hard skill
AI Tools12 %Tool
Employment Law12 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills12 %Soft skill
Regulatory compliance11 %Hard skill
Counseling10 %Hard skill
Risk management10 %Hard skill
Due diligence10 %Hard skill
Business development9 %Hard skill
Accountability8 %Soft skill
Decision making8 %Soft skill
Artificial Intelligence8 %Hard skill
Teamwork8 %Soft skill
Risk assessment8 %Hard skill
Contract Review8 %Hard skill
Regulatory Frameworks7 %Tool
Organizational skills7 %Soft skill
Contract negotiation7 %Hard skill
Creativity7 %Soft skill
Product development7 %Hard skill
Mediation7 %Hard skill
Project Management6 %Hard skill
Cybersecurity6 %Hard skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (23)

Soft skills (14)

Tools and software (2)

Certifications and licenses (1)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these lawyers postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

law firm 56 %law school 38 %accredited law 29 %state bar 26 %drafting/review 23 %commercial agreements 23 %commercial contracts 21 %internal stakeholders 15 %business objectives 14 %broad range 14 %u.s state 14 %practical business 14 %sound judgment 14 %business oriented 13 %service agreements 13 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Lawyers resume example. Then prepare for the Lawyers interview questions that test them.

Build a lawyers resume with these skills

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Lawyers resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Lawyers resume?

In 647 Lawyers job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (66 %), Bar admission (47 %), Negotiation (40 %), Litigation (35 %) and Leadership (29 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Lawyers resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 14 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (66 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Lawyers postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Bar admission (47 %), AI Tools (12 %) and Regulatory Frameworks (7 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 647 public Lawyers job postings at 417 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (421), Lever (95) and Ashby (131). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 647. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 647 public job postings for lawyers roles (titles such as Legal Counsel, Corporate Counsel, Senior Counsel and Senior Legal Counsel) at 417 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 421, Lever 95 and Ashby 131. Employers in the sample include Alliance Defending Freedom, Tressler LLP, Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Wilson Elser - Attorneys, Tyson & Mendes LLP and CoreWeave. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 647. Updated quarterly. Download the data: lawyers-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.